Inner Peace
by 0-Kelly-0
Summary: Itachi has killed all the remaining members of Akatsuki. Why? Because he's searching for something more. Will he find it in the place he least expects it? Expect sex, love, and murder. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

He held on to the rail of the bridge thinking to himself. What was he searching for? Would he find it? If he did, what would he do about it? All these questions swam around in his head, practically making him dizzy. He gripped the rail firmer, to a point where his knuckles were actually turning white.

He had killed all remaining members of Akatsuki. Why? Maybe for the same reason he killed his clan. Because they were no longer of use to him. Because at the time, he felt that angry, and unwanted. Like a statue hanging on the wall, something of value that no one was allowed to touch. So it just sat there. Collecting dust, getting old, living out its life without purpose, or proper use.

But that's not what he had wanted. He was always searching for something to fill the gap in his life. He still hasn't found it. He is once again alone. Without purpose. Without use. Without peace.

_I am Uchiha Itachi. _He thought, holding tighter onto the railing. _Killer of the Uchiha clan. S-rank missing-nin. Wanted for countless murders, and betrayal of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I can not take back these horrible things. As much pain as they have caused me, and others, I will never be forgiven for what I have done. _

But, the ninja's thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of someone walking the trail that lead to the river. He quickly darted into the trees to hide himself.

I very pretty girl walked from the trail, and onto the bridge. She held onto the railing and watched the water flow under her, just as Itachi had done. In Itachi's eyes, she was very beautiful. Her long blond hair fell neatly at her waist, and her blue eyes matched the water dancing below the bridge. But he was very troubled to see a Konoha headband tied around her waist.

She rested her elbows on the railing, and watched the water tumble over the rocks in the river. Itachi felt like bolting, running away so he wouldn't have to fight, but something in her eyes made him stay where he was. It was almost a dejected look, like someone had taken the dancing light out of her eyes. Maybe she was searching for something to.

But he knew that he could never meet her, he had too much in his past. Most of Konoha's ninjas would strike first and ask questions later. He was after all, an S-ranked missing-nin. So he quietly started to retreat from the trail.

"I know you're there." The girl's voice came from behind him, but when he turned he saw that she hadn't taken her eyes off the river. "You can come out you know. You don't have to, but you can."

Her voice was soft, and sincere. No one had ever talked to Itachi that way. He carefully walked back out onto the trail, wondering if this was some kind of trap. The girl took her eyes from the river, and placed them on Itachi.

At first she was somewhat startled to see his Sharingan eyes, and red and black Akatsuki coat, but she quickly got over the shock. _This must be Sasuke's brother._ She thought slowly. _But I have no reason to be afraid of him, he's obviously not attacking me, so I might as well give him the benefit of the doubt._

"Oi, I am Yamanaka Ino." She said, bowing her head to the black haired man before her. "May I ask who you are?" Of course, she already knew who he was, but it was only polite to ask him to introduce himself.

"Um…" Itachi started out, he had never had anyone formally introduce themselves to him like that before. Well he had, but that was before he had killed his entire clan. "I am Uchiha Itachi." He returned the bow.

"Very nice to meet you Itachi." Ino said sweetly, giving him a smile before returning her eyes to the water in front of her.

Itachi took a step forward so he was at the railing to, standing next to Ino. He rested his forearms on the rail and started to fiddle his thumbs nervously. "Um, do you know who I am? Like actually who I am?"

Ino took her eyes from the water again, and looked into Itachi's face. His red eyes looked nervous, and sad, but she could detect no betrayal within them. "Yes." She started out simply. "I knew your brother, Sasuke." Itachi flinched at the sound of his brother's name, but Ino continued on. "He was a friend of mine actually, but he's gone now, so it's not like it really matters."

It hurt Ino to think about how Sasuke had left. He had betrayed them all for power. He had been gone for four and a half years, and he still had not returned to the village. He had killed Orochimaru, even though she had no idea how. She had heard that the man was immortal, but apparently not since his body was found outside the village. Since then, Sasuke had taken over the sound village, and he apparently was still in power, but she wasn't completely sure. She tried to stay away from the gossip about Sasuke; it hurt her to much to think about.

"It's my fault." Itachi stated plainly. "If I hadn't done what I did, Sasuke never would have run off on his quest for power. That's the only reason he went, to gain power. To kill me."

"It's not your fault." Ino said slipping her hand into Itachi's. At first, he was startled by this advance, but he quickly realized that he like the feeling of having her fingers intertwined with his. "What Sasuke did was his own choice; you didn't have anything to do with it. You couldn't have stopped him even if you'd tried."

Ino's words comforted Itachi. It was like for the first time in his life, someone didn't judge him by his past, and didn't blame him for the mistakes of his brother. It was a good feeling, having her standing close to him, their fingers intertwined. And for the first time in his life, he felt at peace.

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Well there's chapter 1! Please tell me what you think of it so far by submiting a review! Updates coming soon! 


	2. Chapter 2

Ino walked the trail back to her hotel. She was here on a mission. Nothing fancy, just delivering a scroll to the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. Although the village was small, the few warriors it did have were strong beyond belief. Tsunade had asked her and Choji to deliver the scroll, in hopes of convincing the village to strengthen their alliance.

She wasn't really sure where Choji was. Probably off stuffing his face. So she decided it would just be best to head back to her room. She ran over the past hour in her head. She had met Uchiha Itachi, one of the strongest ninjas to ever come from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The same Itachi who had killed the entire Uchiha clan. But he didn't seem dangerous to her. Maybe he was just messing with her head, but he really seemed sincere. He seemed sad.

She had talked with him, but felt no fear. His eyes had told her that he was alone, and sullen. Looking for a life beyond the one he had chosen. Like a flower taken out of water, left to shrivel up until it was dead.

She entered the room she had been renting for the last week, and was surprised to see a flower laying on the table in front of her. It was a beautiful yellow sunflower. She picked up a card placed next to the flower with _Ino_ written on the front. She unfolded the paper and started reading.

_Ino,_

_I really enjoyed talking with you today on the bridge. I was hoping that you would meet me for dinner tonight at the hotel restaurant. I will be there at 7:00. I saw this flower, and it made me think of you. But your beauty far surpasses a sunflower's._

_Your's truly,_

_Itachi _

Ino folded the paper, and set it back onto the table before heading into the kitchen to find a vase. But as it turns out, hotels don't normally stock vases in their cabinets. Funny, because if Ino owned a hotel, she would surly put vases in each room. So she settled on a cup, and put the sunflower in the center of her table to enjoy.

At exactly 6:56 Ino walked into the hotel's restaurant. It wasn't a fancy place, just a little café. She looked around the restaurant, and found that Itachi was already seated at one of the small tables. But this time, he wasn't wearing his Akatsuki coat, but a simple black tee-shirt and black jeans. When he spotted her, she saw a smile light his eyes, but it did not reach to his lips. She had found with the Uchiha men that it took a lot to make them smile. They were such a sullen bunch.

She took a seat in a café table across from him, and flashed him a golden smile. She could have sworn that she saw a blush reach his cheeks, but he quickly lifted his glass of water to his lips, and averted his eyes. "I'm glad you came." He said to her, when he had set his glass back onto the table.

Then they started talking. About, well, everything. Ino was amazed at how much they had in common, and how comfortable she felt talking to him.

"So, who's with who now in the village?" Itachi asked innocently.

"Well," Ino started out, taking a deep breath for this one. "Temari and Shikamaru got married last year, and Neji and Tenten got married over the summer. Sakura and Lee are dating, as are Naruto and Hinita."

Itachi smirked into his glass as he took another drink. It was plainly obvious that Ino loved to gossip. She was about to list off several more people before Itachi interrupted her. "Well, what about you?" He had asked the question innocently, as if he was just asking about the weather.

"I'm not with anyone." She said slightly sensitive to the subject.

This time Ino knew that she saw a smile touch the side of his lips. Nothing like flashing his pearly whites, but it was a smile none the less. Ino blushed deeply, realizing why he was asking the question.

"Come on." She said lifting herself from her chair, and taking Itachi by the hand. He looked a little confused, but didn't argue, just left a coin on the table and let Ino lead him away.

Ino took him to her room, and pushed him lightly onto the bed. "Hey, what're you-" But he was quickly interrupted when Ino pushed her lips against his.

Her legs straddled him, and he took hold of her elbows, causing them to bend, bringing her closer to him. He desired to feel her warmth against his body, but feelings coursed through him that he had never felt before.

Ino's hands wandered up his shirt, feeling his hard abs, and defined chest. She pulled her lips from his, and kissed his neck, playfully biting and licking him. Itachi pushed back his head, and arched his neck, loving feeling of her lips against his skin.

She pulled his shirt off his shoulders, continued kissing his neck, while Itachi traced down her spine with the tips of his fingers. He could feel her body quiver in his embrace when he reached the base of the back. He continued moving his hand across her back, and started kissing her neck, and nibbling at her ear.

Ino giggled as Itachi blew into her ear, but caught his lips in hers again. The kissing deepened passionately and Itachi found the zipper to the dress she was wearing, slowly unzipping it, and letting it fall off her shoulders. She shrugged out of it, and threw it to the floor. Itachi took hold of her elbows again, and steadied her as they switched positions so Itachi was on top.

Itachi looked down at Ino's bare body below him, her breath rising and falling in her chest, and something just turned on inside of him. He struggled to get out of his jeans, without breaking the kiss with Ino. She giggled at his attempt to get undress, and her fingers undid the button and zipper on his pants.

He could see the smile dancing brightly in her eyes as he pushed his knee gently between her legs, asking her to part them. She did so, and he gently and slowly pushed into her. She let out a little cry, and at first, Itachi thought he had hurt her, but he could see that the smile had not left her eyes, so he continued.

His lips traveled across her neck and chest, allowing her a moment to breath from the passionate kissing. He slow pushed in and out of her, as he softly caressed her breast. "Harder." She whispered breathlessly into his ear. He placed his hands on her hips, and lifted her body to meet his every time he pushed into her.

She let out a moan of pleasure, and Itachi had to admit that a few moans had escaped him as well. He could feel her nails gripping his back, but not hard enough to draw blood. He nuzzled into her neck, pushing deeper into her.

This play went on for another hour, before both were too exhausted to continue. Itachi lay on his back, with Ino cuddled into his chest, breathing deeply. They both fell asleep that way, not caring what went on in the world around them, as long as they were together.

* * *

Well, that was my first attempt at an intimate seen between Itachi and Ino. I bet that I failed horribly, but whatever. I mean come on, I'm 13 here! Where am I suppose to get experience to work off of? –sighs- Oh well, tell me what you think, and what I can improve on! Please review! I love constructive criticism! 


	3. Chapter 3

Itachi awoke the next morning to find Ino snuggled up to his chest. He glanced over at the obnoxiously ticking clock on the nightstand to find it was only 5:47. Well, old habits die hard I guess. He thought about getting up now, and leaving. Running away like he had so many times before, but one look at Ino, and all thoughts of running melted away from his mind.

He had been with women before, but nothing like last night. Last night was passionate, loving, and for the first time, he felt like someone wanted him around. He nestled himself back up to Ino, and let sleep take hold of him again.

Ino woke at 8:30 to find Itachi still sleeping like a baby, cuddled up to her. She gently rose from the bed, careful not to wake him, and headed into the bathroom. She was covered in sweat, and desperately needed a shower. Not that she didn't absolutely love the reason she was covered in sweat, but she still wanted a shower.

She turned on the water as hot as it would go, and stepped in, letting the steam swallow her up. She heard the curtain being pulled back, and Itachi stepping into the shower behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer to him. She melted into his embrace.

"Any hotter, and that water's going to burn you." Itachi said nibbling on her neck from behind. She giggled when his tongue licked her neck.

"Well, I like it hot." She turned so she was facing him, and he pulled her closer to him, catching her lips in his.

Their tongues intertwined, dancing in the others mouth as Itachi backed Ino up to the far wall, away from the steaming water, and gently caressed the inside of her thigh. Itachi's mouth broke away from hers, and set to work on her neck and shoulders. Ino felt up his chest, tracing his many scars with the tips of her fingers.

Things were just about to get ever hotter, but a knock on Ino's hotel door pulled her away.

"I should get it." She said, but Itachi still hadn't pulled away from her neck, which was making it increasingly hard for her to focus on the visitor at her door.

"Just ignore it." Itachi said plainly, his voice muffled against her neck. But another knock on the door told him that her visitor wasn't going to leave anytime soon. He let out a sigh, and pulled away, allowing her to get out of the shower.

"I'll be back in a minute, I promise." Ino pulled on a fluffy white bathrobe, and exited the bathroom. She pulled open the door to find Choji tapping his foot impatiently in the doorway. He saw that she was sopping wet, and wearing nothing but a bathrobe, and a rosy blush reached his cheeks.

"Oh, I'm, uh, sorry Ino. I didn't know that you were in the shower, but you were supposed to meet me downstairs like an hour ago." She could tell that he was really uncomfortable with her just being in a robe, because he seemed to have suddenly found something very interesting to stare at on the ground.

"Oh, um, I'm running a bit late this morning; could you give me another hour and a half?"

"Uh, yea, sure." He replied, still not removing his eyes from the ground. But of course, Itachi chose that exact moment to walk out of the bathroom, sopping wet, with a towel tied loosely around his waist. Ino's heart skipped a beat at seeing Itachi looking really _really_ sexy standing in the doorway to the bathroom.

"It's been more then a minute." Itachi said with a mock pout, clearly not phased by the fact that Choji was still standing in the doorway, looking dumbfounded.

"I, uh, you, then she, how?" Choji stuttered, obviously unable to form complete and coherent sentences.

"I'll, uh, be there in a sec." Ino said as a lock of Itachi's wet hair flopped over one of his eyes, adding to his sexy stature. He shrugged and headed back into the bathroom.

"I'll see you in an hour and half." Ino said with a smile, and shut the door on a speechless Choji.

She climbed back into the shower, and Itachi wrapped his arms around her again. "How long do we have?" He asked innocently.

Ino giggled. "An hour and a half."

A wide smile set across Itachi's face, before he plunged his lips into hers.

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Ahhh...how sweet, I know this chapter's kinda short, but I still think it was pretty good...but I'd much rather hear that YOU thought it was good! Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

Ino entered the café, her and Choji's meeting spot, a good 2 hours after their little meeting. Choji was, as always, stuffing his face into some kind of chocolate cake.

"Who the hell was that?" Choji said through the cake.

"Itachi." Ino said plainly, not really wanting to into detail about her sex life.

"Who the hell's that? And what was he doin in your room?" It was becoming clear that Choji wasn't going to let this go, so she had no choice but to explain.

"His name is Uchiha Itachi. He was just um, spending some time with me." She really couldn't think of any other way to put it.

Choji coughed, spitting some of the cake that had been stuffed in his mouth back onto his plate. Gross. "WHAT! As in THEE Uchiha Itachi! The one who killed his entire clan? The S-rank missing-nin? THAT Itachi! And you slept with him!"

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! "You know, he's really not that bad. You just have to give him a chance."

"Ha! Like hell I will! Come on, we're heading back to the village right NOW!" He was dead serious to. Ino knew this because he had abandoned eating his cake. (A very rare occurrence.)

Ino crossed her arms across her chest in a pout. "I'm not leaving. I love him."

Choji's mouth fell open at that one. Luckily he was no longer eating the cake, or this could have been another really gross moment.

Choji seemed at a loss for words. He was opening and closing his mouth, but nothing was coming out. Just gapping at her like she had completely lost her mind. Ino stood firm on this one though. After a minute of silence between them, she just left, and took the trail to the bridge where she had meet Itachi the day before.

She watched the water below the bridge. It was so calming. So peaceful. "You know, you didn't have to do that. You could have just left with him. I would've understood." She didn't have to turn around to identify the owner of the voice.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you." Itachi came behind her, and wrapped his hands around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You know you can't do that. You have friends and family waiting for you back at your home. In Konoha." He paused, and she could feel his body tense behind her. "I can't go back to Konoha. I will never be welcome there. But that shouldn't stop you from going back. You're needed there." Ino could tell that these words hurt him a lot, but she couldn't avoid the truth. He couldn't go back to the village. They could never really be together.

She could feel tears pricking at the sides of her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks. She leaned back into his embrace, tightening the hold he had around her. She looked down at the water again. It didn't look peaceful anymore. It looked sad, fighting its way to the ocean. A tear escaped her eye, and rolled down her face. Itachi wiped it gently away with his thumb and kissed her on the neck.

"Don't cry." He whispered softly against her neck. "I'm not gone yet."

She turned to face him, cuddling her head into his chest. "Aishiteru." She whispered.

"Aishiteru." He whispered back.

Ino didn't try to hold back her tears, even though he had told her to. They fell freely to her cheeks, and Itachi held her tighter against him, comforting her.

"I want to be with you. I don't want to go back to Konoha." She murmured.

"You can't. We could never be together. As much as we want to, it would never work. You belong in Konoha."

They stood there holding each other for a long time. They probably would have stood there forever if Choji hadn't come along the trail, looking for Ino.

"I should go." Itachi said, pulling away a bit at the sounds of Choji's approaching footsteps.

"I-I know." Itachi kissed her passionately.

"If you ever need me, I'll be there." He gave her another quick peck on the check before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Hey Ino! Are you out here?" Choji rounded the corner to find Ino standing alone on the bridge. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, before answering.

"Yeah, I'm here. Come on Choji, let's go home."

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Wow, this chapter got kind of mushy. Sorry bout that! (Or is that a good thing? I can't really tell...) This story just seems to kind of be writing itself. Like my fingers just kind of take on a life of their own. It just kind of seemed to flow that way:D Well, I'm really on a roll. 4 Chapters in 2 days! I'm really getting into this! Expect another chapter soon! Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

**(-6 weeks later-)**

"Daddy, do you really have to eat right here in front of me?" Ino asked holding her stomach.

"Come on sweet pea, just because you have the stomach flu doesn't mean that I can't eat." He took a large bit into his ham sandwich.

Ino's stomach churned at the sight and smell of the food. "I'll be right back." She turned and ran into the bathroom. He father could hear her violent retching moments later. She came back from the bathroom looking paler then a sheet.

"I'm going back to bed." She mumbled as she headed off into her bedroom. Her father just shrugged and took another large bit from his sandwich.

"Dear, maybe you should go talk to her. That girl has been so depressed ever since she came back from that mission with Choji a month or so back. You're her mother, I think it'd be best if you ask her what's wrong."

His wife gave him a glare. It was always her job to talk with Ino because she is her mother. Doesn't it count for anything that he's her father? "Honey, she just has the stomach flu. I'm sure it will pass in a day or so." He shrugged again and took another bite of the sandwich.

Two days later, Ino walked along the aisle of the Konoha grocery store.

"Hi Ino, how are you doing?" Says a friendly voice from behind her.

She turns to see its Sakura. "Oi Sakura. I'm doing alright. I'm getting over the stomach flu, but my parents forced me to go out to get groceries. I guess that's one of the problems with living at home while I look for an apartment."

Sakura ignored the living at home joke, and switched into medical mode. "So you're feeling better then? When was the last time you threw up? Maybe you should stop by my office and I could give you a quick once-over just to make sure everything's alright."

Ino could tell that her friend was truly concerned about her health, so she agreed to stop by her office that afternoon to have her look her over. When she arrived there at 3:00, Sakura ushered her into the cramped room, and started a few medical procedures.

"So when was the last time you threw up?" Sakura asked while taking Ino's pulse.

"This morning, but really Sakura, I'm feeling alright now. You don't have to do this." Her friend was not very easily persuaded however for she continued on, and listened to Ino's heart with a stethoscope.

"Take a deep breath in." Ino did as she was told and breathed deeply inward. "And let it out. Mmhmm." Sakura nodded her head and told Ino to stand up.

She placed her hand on Ino's stomach, and she could feel chakra flowing from it. A wide smile spread across Sakura's face, and she straitened up.

"Congratulations Ino, you're going to be a mother."

Oh god, if you care about me at all, you'll kill me off now.

"W-what?" Ino stuttered. Sakura repeated herself, and started telling Ino everything that is to be expected in her first Trimester, what to eat, that kind of stuff. But Ino didn't hear any of it. _I'm pregnant? _Her mind tried to grasp onto the concept but it kept slipping away.

When she walked out of Sakura's office an hour later she was still in denial. _How could this have happened? Well, I know how it happened but still. I need to find Itachi. I wonder where he is… _

She wandered until she found herself in front of Naruto's apartment. She knocked slowly, and waited until the hyperactive blond opened the door. When he did, she asked him slowly, her voice shacking. "N-Naruto, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Of course Ino, you're ok aren't you?" He opened the door wider, offering to let her come inside. She took the invitation and sat on his small red sofa.

"Yeah, I'm ok." She forced herself to smile, but failed miserably. "I was wondering if you could find someone for me."

"Yeah, I bet I could. Who am I looking for?"

"Uchiha Itachi." She saw his face fall drastically. Naruto kind of had a strong dislike for Itachi ever since he tried to kidnap him.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Ino saw anger flash in Naruto's crystal blue eyes.

"No, he didn't hurt me, but I need to find him." She could see confusion written plainly across Naruto's face.

"Well why?"

"Because I'm pregnant with his child. Our child."

"Did he rape you or something?" Ino could see now that this was going to be harder than she thought.

"No."

"Well how could this have happened then?"

"I love him. I made love to him on my own free will, and now I'm pregnant. I need to find him, but I don't know where to look. Will you help me?"

Several emotions spread across Naruto's face at that moment. Loath, pity, then understanding.

"He told me that if I ever needed him, that he'd be there for me. Well I need him now, and he's not here." Ino could feel tears welling in her eyes. Gosh, hormones suck.

Naruto got up from his seat and gave her a hug. Who ever knew he could be so caring? "Don't worry, I'll find him for you. I think I know where he might be."

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-giggles- Twisted. I know, I love ruining other people's lives. -flashes a smile- Well I can bet yea that it's going to get pretty interesting from here on out! Oh, I also noticed that I used Aishiteru in the last chapter. That's Japanese for I love you. Shocking huh? Well see you all again soon! 


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto ran threw the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, following the trail to where he suspected Itachi would be. He couldn't believe that Ino loved him, or that she was pregnant with his child, but maybe he had changed his ways, and deserved a second chance. But that didn't mean that Naruto wouldn't be careful. Quite the opposite actually, he was planning to be very careful so he wouldn't get himself killed. He had Hinita to think about, wanted to return home safely to her.

He and Hinita had gotten very close. Naruto was actually planning on proposing to her when he returned. So he had all the more reason to be careful. But he could never have turned Ino down in her time of need. She had trusted in him by telling him about her feelings for Itachi, and the relationship they had shared, so it was only fair that he do everything he could to help her.

Naruto approached the cave where Akatsuki had taken Gaara when they had kidnapped him, and was surprised to see that the rock blocking the entrance was no longer there. The cave's open mouth just stood in front of him, tempting him to enter._ It must be a trap._ Naruto thought trying to see through the darkness in the cave. _Why else would Akatsuki just leave their hideout unguarded? _

Naruto ignored his gut feeling and entered the cave. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and his vision became clearer. "What are _you_ doing here?" Asked a cold voice from the shadows.

"I'm here looking for Uchiha Itachi. Yamanaka Ino requested that I find him."

"W-what?" Stuttered the voice. I had lost its icy edge, and now just sounded confused. "Why would she be looking for Itachi?"

"Oh god Itachi, stop referring to yourself in third person, and get out here. I have a message for you."

Itachi stepped out of the shadows, and crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for Naruto to continue.

"You should probably go talk to her. She has something she needs to tell you."

"Well why can't you tell me?"

"This is something that I think you should really hear from her. I don't want to get stuck in the middle of this whole thing."

Itachi seemed to consider this for a minute, but then bows his head. "Thank you for delivering the message to me. I am very grateful."

Naruto was a little shocked by his acceptance; he thought for sure he'd have to beata him into submission before he'd listen. But he bowed his head as well. "No problem. And good luck with Ino. That girl's a handful."

Itachi nodded, seeming to know this already from the smirk on his mouth. And he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_I really need to learn to do that._ Naruto thought crankily as he headed out on the journey back home.

Ino walked along a trail just a few minutes outside of Konoha. She was biting her nails, an old nervous habit, and not really focusing on where she was going. At least she wasn't until she ran right into Itachi.

"Itachi!" Ino cried throwing her arms around him, locking her lips onto his.

After a long session of passionate kissing, Ino pulled her lips away from his. "I have something I need to tell you." Ino said nervously biting her lip. Why was it that when she was nervous that she always has to bite something?

"Is that why you sent Naruto to find me? Well what's the matter? You're ok aren't you?" Ino could see that his eyes were dancing nervously; looking for some sort of reassurance that she was unharmed.

"I-I'm ok. Well, sort of." That didn't seem to calm him down any. "Itachi, I'm pregnant."

"W-what?"

"I-well, we're pregnant."

His eyes didn't look nervous anymore. They look darn right panicky. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Well what're we going to do?"

"I don't really know yet."

Itachi seemed to gain control over his emotions again, and ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out together." He pulled he lips into his.

All her doubts and worries seemed to melt away in his embrace. He pulled her closer into his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. Ino tilted her head back, deepening the kiss. Much to her dismay, Itachi pulled away from her several minutes later. "Don't worry, it'll all work out." He ran his fingers through her hair again. "I promise."

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Well that's my chapter 6! I'd like to give a special thanks to deathrosekitty for reviewing! The next chapter will be added soon:D 


	7. Chapter 7

Ino awoke the next morning in her own bed. _How did I get here?_ Her mind wondered drowsily. _The last thing I remember is standing with Itachi. Was it all a dream?_

Her eyes wandered across her room, and landed on her bedside table. On it lay a beautiful yellow sunflower.

"Hokage-sama, someone is here to see you." Said the guard in front of Tsunade's office. He looked very startled, almost scared, but he stood in the doorway, waiting for her to reply.

"Arigato Urika, please send him in." Urika nodded his head nervously, and left her doorway.

The door reopened a moment later, and a man clad in black jeans, and a black shirt entered the room. His jet black hair swung freely at his ears, but when her eyes met his, she realized who she was dealing with.

Tsunade immediately set her eyes downcast, and bolted up from her chair. "What the hell are you doing here Itachi!"

He noticed her downcast eyes and relised what she was afraid of. He stifled a laugh. "Oi Tsunade-hime. Don't worry; I'm not going to use my Mangekyou Sharingan on you. It would only cause problems, and besides, I'm here to make a deal with you. It would be rude to traumatize you when my goal is to persuade you to help me."

She was somewhat shocked that the Uchiha boy had not come to fight her, but she forced herself back down into her chair. Itachi took the seat opposite hers, and Tsunade had to ask the question that was burning its way through her mind. "What is it you want Itachi? Although I know I should at least offer you time to propose this agreement, I'm seriously considering calling the ANBU. You're an S-rank criminal, and I need to contact the authorities."

Itachi didn't seemed very fazed by this, it almost seemed as though he was expecting her to call the ANBU. "Very well. You are in fact the Hokage now. You must do what is right for the safety of your people. Although…I think it would make it a lot easier on you if you would just hear me out. If you do not like what I am proposing, then you may call the ANBU, and I will go without a fight."

Tsunade considered this for a moment. He didn't seem to be much of the threat, and she could defiantly hold her own against him, so she though it would be best to hear him out. "Alright, what is it you want here?"

Itachi took a deep breath before continuing. He knew what would be her answer, but he had to ask. "I want to be accepted back into the village."

"WHAT!" He cringed. "You killed the entire Uchiha clan, and you expect me to just let you come back to Konoha! What the hell are you smoking?"

"No, you didn't let me finish. I am willing to offer my services." Tsunade narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"What kind of services?"

"This is outrageous! How can this….this….boy, possibly offer such a thing?" Cried an angry elder.

"Now, I know it seems like a long shot, but that's what he offered me." Tsunade responded calmly.

"Even if he was able to complete this impossible mission, he still should not be let back into the village! The boy is a killer! He could go on another rampage at any given moment!" This comment caused murmurs to flutter across the room in panic as the men and women of the council discussed Itachi's proposal.

"He's a cold-blooded killer! We could wake up tomorrow with the entire village destroyed at his hand!" Cried out another.

"But what he is offering us, is something that no other has been able to accomplish." Tsunade tried again to convince them. "If he failed, he would be killed, but if he succeeds, then don't you think he will have proven his loyalty to the village?" More murmurs ran across the room as the elderly group discussed this new information among themselves.

One of them stood up. It was Kannon, the head of the council. His voice was soft, but seemed to have the immediate affect of power over the others in the group. "Silence, please." The room grew deathly quiet, all waiting to hear Kannon's take on this. "I believe that Uchiha Itachi should be given a chance to earn back the trust of our village. All of us have made mistakes in the past," Several of the elders seem to sink lower into their chairs. "And all of us deserve a chance to redeem ourselves. The boy will be given a chance to complete the task he has offered, and if successful, he will be accepted back into the village."

Kannon's word was law. The room remained silent, and he took his seat again. Itachi's fate had been decided.

* * *

Ohhh...drama:P What IS it that Itachi is offering? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter! Thank you to all my reviewers! I love you guys:D Updates coming soon! 


	8. Chapter 8

"You did WHAT!" Ino gasped as Itachi told her about the deal he had made with the Tsunade.

"I told you Ino, if I succeed, then they'll let me stay here in the village with you!" He could see the panic in her eyes as he told her that he was going off to kill his brother.

"B-but, you can't kill Sasuke! He's been training for the last four years! He runs his own country for crying out loud! You're going to get yourself killed, and leave me here to raise our baby alone!"

Itachi could see the tears forming in Ino's eyes. She really did care about him, and didn't want to see him get killed. "We can run away together," She tried again. "We can live somewhere else, somewhere where no one knows us. We can be happy. We can be together, and raise our child."

Itachi wiped a tear from her cheek that had escaped her eye. "No, you belong here in Konoha. And I will to, after I kill Sasuke. Don't worry; I can handle my little brother. He's just full of hot air." He ran his fingers through her thick blond hair, and she burst into tears. Itachi hugged her close to his chest, rubbing her back soothingly. "Shhh, it's alright. I'll be ok."

"B-but, what i-if you aren't?" Ino cried out.

Itachi pulled back a bit, so he was looking right into Ino's eyes. "I will be." He said it so calmly, so confidently, and then he pulled her back into his embrace, and held her tight against him.

After a _really_ good night with Ino, Itachi left the next day for the Hidden Sound Village. It took him a quick day to reach the village, and had so far not met any enemies.

"Hmm, how very entertaining." A cold voice sliced the air like a hot knife.

"Yes Sasuke-sama, he is heading here alone. He is expected to arrive within the next few hours." A second voice in the dark room said.

"Very well then. Thank you Kabuto."

"Um, do you wish for me to send a group of nins out to stop him sir?"

"Ku ku ku ku." Bitter laughter filled the room, adding to its eerie edge. "No, let him continue his little charade. When he arrives, I will take care of him myself."

"Very well Sasuke-sama." Kabuto bowed respectfully, and left the room, leaving his master to contemplate his next move.

Itachi reached the outskirts of the village, and stopped to think about what to do next. _Jingle jingle_. An obnoxious jingling sound came from behind him. He didn't even need to turn and look to know that 1: It was a bell and 2: It was a trap. He sighed impatiently and his sharingan searched the trees for his attacker.

He quickly found what appeared to be a young girl, squatting in a tree several yards away. He pulled a suriken from the pouch at his hip, and promptly threw it in the girl's direction. She ducked, and avoided it easily, but that was the point. The suriken seemed to take on a life of it's own as it stopped midair, and whirled back toward the girl.

"What!" He heard the girl cry. She avoided the suriken again, but this time by sacrificing her footing. She fell, quite gracefully, from the tree limb, but landed squarely on her feet. "State your business here!"

Her voice was crisp and clear, but her eyes danced nervously at the sight of her new opponent. Itachi sighed again, growing more impatient. "What's your name girl?" He addressed her rather rudely, but he didn't have time for this. He saw her face twist as she decided whether or not it would be a good idea to tell him who she was. She apparently decided that it would do no harm, for she told him her name.

"Kin Tsuchi."

"Well Tsuchi, my name is Uchiha Itachi. How very nice it is to meet you." His voice was laced with sarcasm, but Tsuchi didn't seem to notice.

"Y-you're Itachi U-Uchiha?" When he nodded lazily in response he saw horror cross the young girl's face. "B-but that would mean that y-you…you're…" Her voice trailed off, unable to continue.

"Yes, that would mean that I am Sasuke's brother. I'm actually looking for the little twit, have you seen him around?" She gaped at him. He was so casual about this whole thing, it was making her unusually aware of the swear forming on her forehead.

"I-I'm not suppose to tell you that."

"Hmm, very well then." Itachi shrugged his shoulders causally, and started to walk past Tsuchi.

"I can't just let you go! I'm supposed to be guarding the village border…" Her voice trailed off. It was becoming increasingly apparent that she was new to this particular job. Itachi guessed that since she appeared to be a little under twenty that she had probably just finished her ninja training, and that this was her first gig on her own. It was always hard to take on your first individual assignment, so Itachi decided it would be easy to trick her.

"Alright then. You can just take me to the leader of your village. I'm a very dangerous criminal you know, I feel it would be best if I were to be turned in."

"I'm not stupid you know." Or maybe it won't be easy to trick her. "But I think I'd like to help you."

_Why in the world would she offer to help me?_ Itachi's mind attempted to process the new information, but was having a bit of trouble.

She saw confusion pass over his face, so she decided to explain. "You're going to kill your brother right?" He nodded. "Well, I'd like to help you. Sasuke killed my teammate, Dosu Kinuta. He did not deserve to die, so I think it only fit that your brother met the same fate that he brought upon my friend." How can you argue with that kind of logic?

Then it dawned on Itachi that she wasn't on an individual mission because she had completed her training, it must have been because Sasuke had killed her teammate. All ninja teams much consist of three ninja and a sensei, without all members, the team is broken up, and sent off on their own.

Itachi was still wary of Tsuchi, but he needed all the help he could get. And what better way to get help, then to take advantage of an angry teenager, bent on revenge?

* * *

Well there's chapter 8 for you guys! Thanks a million Somnus for the great reviews:D To answer your question about the council, I reread it, and I see that I did just kind of fling it out of no where. I think I had it all mapped out in my mind, but it just didn't make it to the paper. What I was going for was that before Tsunade could make any serious decisions about the village, she has to consult the council. (Kind of like the President has to go to Congress.) The council consists of elders from the village, who have had experience in either the field of ninja, or politics. Kannon is the head of the council, and has the most power over the other members. And yeah, I am only 13, but it's a really nice compliment to hear that I write like I'm older! I hope that cleared up some of the question about the council! Thanks again for the reviews. 

Oh, and one more thing, if you guys were wondering, Kin Tsuchi is the sound ninja from the Chunnin exams. Just to clear up any confusion! Till next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Ino tucked her knees under her chin a feeble position. It was her first night in her new apartment and, of course, tonight was the night a thunderstorm decided to hit. She pulled the blanket from her bed, to the chair where she sat in the curled up position. Ino was never afraid of thunderstorms, just not particularly fond of them.

A flash of yellow light lit her dark bedroom, causing Ino to shiver. She thought of Itachi. Had he been caught in the storm? Would he be able to kill Sasuke? Would he even live?

The thought of losing Itachi made Ino shiver again. She pulled the blanket higher to her chin, but it still did not help with the cold feeling that had come over her. Another flash of yellow light and a boom of thunder shock the room. It made Ino think of when she was a little girl. She had always been terrified of thunderstorms when she was younger, but her father had comforted her.

_"Don't be afraid sweet pea. The thunder and lightning won't hurt you." He stripped the covers from his five year old daughter's face, where she had been clutching them tightly. "If anything, we should be celebrating." _

_A look of confusion came across the young girl's face. "Why daddy?" _

_"Because the gods are celebrating! Up in heaven!" _

_"What are they celebrating?" _

_"Well, I'm not entirely sure sweet pea. But you see, the gods are up there," He pointed upward. "Dancing, and singing. Having a grand old time. They just want to share their joy with us, so they send us thunderstorms. Every time you hear the boom of thunder that means one of the gods is banging on their drum. Making beautiful music! When a flash of lightning breaks the sky, a god is dancing! Their heels send out bolts of fire, and light." He could see that he had his daughter in awe at his tale of gods. "They want to share the joy with us, so you never have to be afraid." He gave her a kiss on the forehead._

"But I am afraid." Ino murrmered to herself in the dark room, but she wasn't referring to her fear of thunderstorms. "I wish Itachi was here."

"So, how exactly are we going to do this?" Tsuchi wanted to know.

"Well, all I really need you to do is get me into the building. I think I should take it from there. Sasuke isn't one to be taken lightly, and I think it would be best if I were to take him. He is after all from my clan, so I should know most of his tricks."

The girl shrugged. "Alright, just make him suffer ok?" Itachi couldn't hide the smirk that spread across his face.

"Don't worry. I will."

The two ninja entered the small village. It seemed as though it was deserted. Not a soul was wandering the streets, which added to the overall eerie affect.

"Where is everybody?" Itachi wanted to know.

"Most civilians are to afraid of Sasuke to even come out of their homes. And most of our ninja are sent off on missions. Your brother has instilled fear into my people, so they are even afraid to step foot outside of their homes. The village is at a loss. With your brother no longer dictating to them, hopefully they will be able to regain a sense of normality."

"Very well, we will see if we can help them now wont we?" A smile spread across Tsuchi's face, but she did not answer because they had arrived at Sasuke's "palace". The building towered over all the others, and reeked of power, and superiority. It seemed just like Sasuke to want to rub it in everyone's face that he was the leader. It made Itachi want to throw up.

"The sound ninja have access to the palace, but it is very heavily guarded by the best of our ninja. In order to gain access to it, I must show them this pass." She held up a small card with her name, rank, and photo. "They will take note of it, so they can know who is in the palace at all times. Your brother has taken no risks. There is no other way in."

Itachi thought about this for a moment. "Well, what if you had a reason to see Sasuke?"

"Then I would be escorted to his chambers by the guards."

"Hmm…" Tsuchi could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Itachi made several quick hand signs, and his body morphed into another. His black hair turned silver and spiky, and his face was now half masked. "What better way to greet him, then in the form of his old sensei?" She could see a smirk stretch the mask that was now covering his mouth.

* * *

Chapter 9 down! Please review, and tell me what you think of it! Oh, and yes, Sasuke is evil in this fanfic. (If you didn't pick up on that.) I just thought I'd give you guys a heads up, so I dont get threatening emails from the Sasuke-lovers. -giggles- Chapter 10 will be added soon! 


	10. Chapter 10

A girl approached the guards at the entrance of Sasuke's palace, a Konoha ninja slinking closely behind her. As they got closer, the guards could see that the Konoha ninja was being held by chakra infused ropes. He was the girl's captive.

"I found this one," The girl thrust her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the silver haired nin. "Slinkin around the outskirts of town. He appears to be a ninja of the Fire Country. I've brought him to see Sasuke-sama for sentence."

One of the guards nodded his head, and stepped forward. "We need to check your registration, and then we will take you to Sasuke-sama."

The girl pulled a card from her pocket, and handed it to the man. It read:

Name: Kin Tsuchi

Rank: Jounin

Day of Birth: July 6th

Bloodtype: O

Team members: Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi

He handed the card to the guard next to him, and he started making a note in a book. "Abumi," The guard said, trying to place the name. "Wasn't he the ninja who lost his arms in the chunnin exams a few years back?"

Itachi could feel the kunoichi tense in front of him. "Yes, he did."

"And Kinuta, wasn't he executed last fall?"

Tsuchi clenched her hands in fists. "Yes." Her voice was calm but Itachi could feel the anger radiating from it.

"Hmm, alright then. You really need to get this card updated, but it cleared, so we will take you and your prisoner to Sasuke-sama."

They were led into the palace, escorted by the guard at the gate. "So, you," He directed his comment toward Itachi. "Who are you? What's your story?"

Itachi grunted in displeasure as Tsuchi gave a yank on his rope, a hint for him to keep quite. "I have no story for the likes of _you_." Itachi sneered.

"Why you little…" A red blush of anger tainted the guard's face, as he clenched his hands into fists.

"That's quite enough!" Tsuchi snapped, pulling roughly again on the rope. If Itachi didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was actually serious. But he knew all to well that she wanted to tear this man apart for bringing back the memories of her lost teammates.

They reached a large arched doorway, and stopped. "Sasuke-sama is inside. He has been told to expect you. You may enter." The guard bowed to them, still eying Itachi with distaste, and retreated down the corridor.

Silence fell between them as they stood in front of the large intimidating door. "Well, this is going to be fun." Itachi said with sarcasm. He pushed open the doors, and was greeted with a courtyard.

Green grass rolled before him. The courtyard had many gardens off to the sides, but the center had been left clear. It didn't take long to figure out why.

"Welcome Itachi!" Said a cold voice that even startled Itachi, because he was still disguised as Kakashi. "How nice of you to finally join me! I thought that maybe you had gotten lost, or chickened out at the last minute, but no, here you are!"

Sasuke appeared in the center of the courtyard. He was taller, and more muscular than Itachi remembered him. His face now looked more chiseled, especially around his jaw line, and eyes. He wore a long black robe that reached to the ground. His black hair looked the same as it had before, except it might be a little longer. But what really stood out were his eyes. They were no longer the onyx black that they had been, but a defined red sharingan swirled within them.

Itachi performed several quick hand signs, and the illusion of Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke. "You know," Sasuke began. "I have been waiting a _really_ long time for this day." He shifted himself into a fighting stance. "Shall we begin Itachi?"

* * *

Ok, so next is going to be the fight scene! Just so you know, I really _really_ suck a fight scenes...so you can bet that it'll be pretty short, sweet, and to the point! But I'll do my best:D (Oh, and I'll update as soon as possible, but I have this huge research paper due in a couple of weeks, so bare with me!) 


	11. Chapter 11

Japanese I used in this chapter:

Niichan: Older brother  
Chibi: Little one  
Daijoubu da ka: Is everything ok?  
Hai: Yes  
Baka: Idiot  
Oni-tora: Demon Tiger

Jutsus:

Deido-no-jutsu: Mud slide  
Kai: Release  
Aisu-dansu-no-jutsu: Ice dance  
Katon-Ryuuka-no-Jutsu: Dragon Fire Technique  
Doton-Doruki-Gaeshi: Earth Wall Land Flip  
Katon: Fire Dragon Flame Blast  
Taren-Ken: Match Punch  
Kyuichose-No-Jutsu: Summoning

* * *

Itachi growled under his breath as he slipped into a fighting stance. "You know niichan; maybe we should make this fight more interesting." Sasuke snapped his fingers, and Kabuto appeared at his side. "If we were to higher the stacks, maybe you would put up a better fight. Can't have you giving up to quickly now can we?" Itachi's face remained expressionless, although another growl rose in his throat. 

_What's he thinking?_ Itachi searched his brother's equally expressionless face. _This can't be good._

"Kabuto," Sasuke started, turning to his assistant. "Bring her out will you?"

_Ah, shit. _Itachi's mind cursed. Kabuto disappeared from Sasuke's side, only to reappear a few yards away with Ino in his grasp. Her body was limp, she was obviously knocked out. A gag was placed firmly over her mouth, and her hands were secured behind her back.

Sasuke approached her, and took her chin with one hand, lifting her head to get a better look at her. "Always was an obnoxious one, that Ino." Itachi unconsciously clenched his fists at his sides. "I think I like her much better this way," Her gestured toward the gag. "What do you think niichan?"

"Don't you touch her you filthy bastard!" Itachi snarled.

"Or you'll do what?" Sasuke laughed bitterly. "You can't beat me! You know, I learned a lot from you brother. I learned everything from you really. I have you to thank for all this." His hand fell from Ino's face, and gestured around the courtyard.

"You leave her out of this!"

"It's to late niichan. She's already a big part of this. You see what better motivation could I give you, than the girl you love!" His harsh laughter echoed through the courtyard once more. "You were always a hard one to pin down, Itachi. No feelings, no family, no friends. It always seemed that all you cared about was yourself. But oh no, it was a lot more than that wasn't it? It all came down to this girl." He approached Ino again, taking her chin in her hand and turning it toward Itachi. "She was all you ever really cared about. Wasn't she Itachi?" Itachi remained silent, flexing his fists, his eyes never leaving the hand Sasuke had on Ino's chin. "You were never really motivated really. You had nothing left to fight for. But let's see how you fight when you have everything at stake."

Kabuto took the hint to get out of the way, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. He reappeared on the side of the field, Ino now tied to one of the pillars in the courtyard. Kabuto made several hand signs, and a thin silver line appeared around the pillar. Sasuke looked at the line and said, "Just so you aren't tempted. You see, that line wont disappear until one of us is defeated. No one can cross it, from either the inside, or the outside. So you don't even need to try to run over there and rescue her."

"I guess we'd better get started then, shouldn't we chibi?" Itachi regained control, and moved back into the fighting stance.

"I guess we should. You know niichan, when I kill you, I'm going to love having her to my bed."

Itachi's face remained impassive, although he was imagining ways to slowly and painfully kill his brother. _First, I'll rip out his eyes. No, only one of his eyes, so he can watch me ripping it apart with a Kunai. Then I'll cut open his stomach and pull out his guts. I'll hang them over the river, and let the piranha's slowly devour them. _But Itachi's ranting mind was interrupted when Sasuke started making hand signs. Dog, Serpent, Hare, Tiger, Dragon. Itachi didn't recognize this jutsu. "Deido-no-jutsu!"

The ground around Itachi's feet turned to mud, and he slowly started to sink. He tried to pull his feet from the constricting mud, but with no avail. A mist appeared, and surrounded him. "Damn it, genjutsu." He made several hand signs. "Aisu-dansu-no-jutsu!" The mud around his feet froze, and he was able to break his feet free with a kunai. But the mist still surrounded him; up from it raised several puppets. About ten probably, surrounding him in a circle. "Kai!" The mist cleared, but the puppets still remained.

Itachi pulled ten kunais from his weapon pouch, and threw them at the puppets. Each kunai landed squarely in the puppet's chest, but it didn't seem to affect them. _Wait for it..._ BAM! The puppets burst from the exploding tags he had placed on the kunais.

"Hmm, very good niichan. You were able to cancel out the genjutsu, get free from the mud, _and_ defeat my puppets. And you haven't even broken a sweat! Not that I'd expect anything less from the great Uchiha Itachi." Itachi looked around the courtyard, but he couldn't find Sasuke. His voice was echoing so he couldn't find his exact location. "Katon-Ryuuka-no-Jutsu!"

"Oh, shit." A burst of fire irrupted in the courtyard, and a streamed toward Itachi. "Doton-Doruki-Gaeshi!" Itachi hit the soil with his fist, and the ground flipped upward, creating a wall in front of him. He could hear the fire pounding against the wall, as it sheltered him the it's blast.

"Ok, it's my turn." Itachi made several quick hand signs. "Katon!" A burst of fire came from Itachi's mouth, and took the form of a dragon. It tore apart the courtyard, since he didn't really know where Sasuke was, but he was sure to keep it far way from the pillar where Ino was tied. The walls of the courtyard tumbled around him. Itachi was breathing heavy now, it took a lot of chakra to summon that big of a fire technique.

His eyes searched the debris around him, but didn't see Sasuke. "It's so simple!" Sasuke said, as he stepped out from behind the pillar where Ino was tied. "She's like the ultimate shield! You keep your techniques as far away from here as possible, so you won't chance hurting her! It's sweet really, that you care that much about her. To bad she'll be all alone again when you're dead."

"Get away from her!" Itachi yelled. He darted forward with speed that only an accomplished ninja could hope to attain. "Taren-Ken!" Itachi yelled, ramming his fist into Sasuke's stomach. But that wasn't all, the punches kept on coming. It was a high level Taijutsu attack where the user reaches unimaginable speeds, and it appears that he is punching his opponent a thousand times. His quick, hard thrusts were enough to send Sasuke flying into the far wall of the courtyard. Or at least what was left of it after Itachi's fire attack.

Itachi darted back to Sasuke, and kicked him upside the head. "Match kick!" His kicks continued until he was satisfied with the results. Sasuke lay in an unconscious lump, blood dripping out the corner of his mouth. He wasn't dead, but Itachi had never intended to kill him, so it didn't really matter.

Itachi looked back to the pillar, and saw the silver line surrounding it start to dissipate. "Ino!" He fought his way back over the rubble, and untied Ino. When she was free of the restraints, she fell limply into Itachi's arms. He held her close to his chest, and gently stroked her hair. "We've gotta get you back to Konoha." He said, mostly to himself.

Ino's blue eyes fluttered open now that she was no longer tied to the hard pillar, but being held tightly by a pair of strong arms. She looked up to see Itachi looking fairly distressed. "Daijoubu da ka?"

He smiled down at her. "Hai. Everything is fine now. We're going to get you back to Konoha, alright?"

"Hai." Her eyes were going in and out of focus, and it was making her dizzy. Itachi gently set her back on the ground, leaning her against the pillar. He turned his back to her, and bit his thumb. "Kyuichose-No-Jutsu!" He yelled, and rammed his thumb into the ground.

Smoke erupted around him, and when it cleared, it revealed an abnormally large white tiger. "Oni-tora." Itachi said, addressing the tiger. "I need you to help me get Ino, and that baka over there," He thrust his thumb in Sasuke's direction. "Back to Konoha, ASAP! Can you help?" 

The tiger made a low growling sound in his throat before he spoke. "I don't like the feeling of that one, Itachi-sama." He said, referring to Sasuke. "He's got some bad chakra in him."

"Yes, I realize that. But he's knocked out; he won't do you any harm."

Oni-tora snorted. "I'm not worried about him harming me. I just don't like him."

"Well, I don't care if you like him or not! I need to get Ino back to Konoha! I think they poisoned her!"

* * *

Well there's the big fight scene! I know it's not that great, but it turned out better than I expected...please let me know what you think! Another thing is that even though I have a huge paper due in a few weeks here, I'm getting more writing done than usual. Amazing what procrastination can do for some people. Well, till next time! (Oh, and expect the unexpected in the next few chapters. I think that whole "and they live happily ever after" thing is kind of overrated, so we'll see if we can make it more interesting, ne? But no worries, I'm not going to kill them all off in the end or anything!) 


	12. Chapter 12

Japanese I used in this chapter:

Hai: Yes  
Nani: What  
Ne: Is that so?  
Hime: Princess  
Sama: A suffix meaning respect  
Oni-tora: Demon Tiger  
Arigatou: Thank you  
Arigatou gozaimasu: Thank you very much

* * *

Itachi paced up and down the length of the hall within the hospital. Ino had been admitted, and he was waiting to see if she was going to be alright. Sakura stepped out of Ino's room, and approached Itachi. 

"Is she ok? Can I see her?"

Sakura had a grim look on her face, and it was making him very uncomfortable. "Yes, she's alright now. They poisoned her, but we have rid her system of the toxin." The grim look hadn't left her face.

"Well what's the matter then? She's going to be alright, right?"

"Hai, but…we lost the baby."

"N-nani?"

"The poison was a huge stress on her body. It couldn't handle keeping her, and the baby alive. So, we lost it."

"B-but…that can't be right."

Sakura could see that his face was tight with guilt. "It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could to help her."

"No I didn't! This is all my fault! If I hadn't come along, she wouldn't have had to go through any of this! It's all my fault."

"Ne? You really think this is all your fault?" Sakura was starting to raise her voice at him. "It was Ino's choice to be with you! It was what she wanted! You really think that this will all just go away now? She needs you more than ever now, and if you're just going to run away from it all, then maybe Ino is better off without you!"

"I have to go give Tsunade-hime my report." He murmured, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hime-sama." Itachi said when he reappeared in Tsunade's office.

"Ah, Itachi. Oni-tora delivered Sasuke to me. I would like to congratulate you on a job well done."

"Arigatou hime-sama."

"I heard that Ino is in the hospital now. How is she doing?"

Tsunade felt his body tense. "Better. They have cleaned the toxins from her body, and expect her to recover soon."

"Well, if you go back to see her, send her my best wishes."

"Hai. If I may ask Tsunade-sama, what are your plans for my brother?"

She noticed the quick change in subject, but did not comment on it. "He will be given a fair trial that will decide his fate. Oh, that reminds me of our little deal. You are welcome to come to village at anytime you wish."

"Arigatou gozaimasu Tsunade-sama." He bowed to her, and turned to leave the office.

"Oh, and one more thing Itachi. I'm sorry about the baby."

He didn't say anything to that, he just left. He walked around Konoha for a long time. He didn't know exactly how long, but by the time he found himself in front of the hospital again, the sun had set.

He casually focused the chakra to his feet, and walked up the side of the building until he came to Ino's window. It was open, so he slipped inside and sat on the windowsill.

"I thought you might come by." Ino said from the hospital bed. She was lying down, and her back was facing Itachi, but she still knew it was him. "Have you ever noticed how painfully white hospitals are? When I get out of here, I'm going to donate some of the most colorful flowers I can find at the shop. These people could use a little color."

Itachi remained silent, but got up from the window and sat in the chair next to her bed. Her back was still facing him. "You know, I feel really stupid that I let them catch me. I'm a ninja for crying out loud! I should have at least put up a better fight."

"It's not your fault." Itachi's voice was painfully tense. Ino flipped herself over so she was facing him now. She took his hand in hers and gently pulled him forward so he was sitting next to her on the bed. "And it's not your fault either." She said matter-a-factly. She pulled on him again to give him a little kiss. But that supposedly little kiss turn deep and passionate within several seconds.

"I was so worried about you while I was gone." Itachi said when they came up for air. He was gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry I let this happen. I feel like it _was_ my fault. I just never wanted you to get hurt. I never should have gone after Sasuke. It was foolish, and selfish. I wasn't thinking about your safety."

"How the hell were you supposed to know that Sasuke was going to come after me?"

"Well I _should_ have known." Itachi said with a huff.

"You know, you're really cute when you pout." Ino said, as she pulled his lips down to hers again. Itachi's hand wrapped around her neck, pulling her lips firmer against his. He felt her mouth open a bit, and took the invitation to snake his tongue into the opening. His tongue explored her velvety mouth, and he felt a moan rise in her throat.

"When do you get out of here?" Itachi asked with an ache of lust in his voice, as he nuzzled into her neck and pulled at the hospital gown.

Ino giggled. "I just have to stay here tonight, and then they're letting me leave tomorrow morning if everything goes alright."

Itachi sighed impatiently. "But tomorrow's such a long ways away." He started to gently suck on her neck, and Ino stifled a moan as she arched her back into him. He smirked at the affect his caresses were having on her. "You know," He continued the gentle kisses along her shoulders. "These gowns don't have any backs."

He saw Ino's eyes widened as he landed a heavy hand on her ass. "Itachi, we can't do this here." He could tell that she _wanted_ to do this here, but her logic was getting the better of her at the moment.

He sighed again, but removed his hand from her back, and sat himself back up. "Alright, you take care of yourself tonight, alright?" He got up from the bed, only to have Ino pull him back down again.

"You don't have to leave do you? Can't you just stay here tonight to keep me company? I never really liked hospitals; I always thought they were kind of creepy…"

He smiled at her, and pulled the chair closer to her bed. "Alright, I'll stay here. But you have to promise that you'll get some rest." His voice was stern. It was hard to believe that this was the same man that was trying to get her out of her hospital gown a few minutes ago.

"Hai." He seemed satisfied with the answer, so he leaned back in the chair to get some sleep.

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Another chapter down! Just in case you didn't catch on, there's going to be a lemon in the next chapter. (Yay lemons! Nice and sour:P Just the way I like them!) I'm sorry I had Ino lose her baby...but hey,it works out better this way, ne? (I warned you it would be unexpected, remember?)The next chapter should be done soon... (I'm procrastinating, remember?) "Yea mom. That word document's my research paper…" (Don't tell her ok:P) Bye! 


	13. Chapter 13

Japanese I used in this Chapter:

Gomen ne: I'm sorry  
Hai: Yes

* * *

Ino had woken up the next morning in the hospital with Itachi no longer next to her. But she noticed a dash of yellow in the white room. It was a sunflower. 

Sakura checked her over, and said that she cleared, so she could go home. Ino packed up the few things that she had with her, got dressed, and headed back to her apartment. She enjoyed the ten minute walk from the hospital. It felt good to stretch her legs again, and get out in the fresh air.

She approached her apartment door, and rummaged around her pocket for the key. She found it, and turned the key to right, so she heard a small _click_. She slipped out of her sandals, and flicked on the light switch.

"Eep!" Was all she could get out before her back hit the wall. "God Itachi, you scared me half to death!"

"Gomen ne." He purred sweetly as he nuzzled into her neck. "Are you feeling better?"

"Hai. It was sort of a shock at first, but I'm doing much better."

"I'm glad you're ok Ino. I was worried about you." Itachi's hands were gently caressing her body, which made her shiver with anticipation. She pushed her lips into his, and she felt his tongue slip into her mouth.

He pulled his body back a bit, then lifted Ino up, and pushed her back against the wall, so her legs were wrapped around his hips. His lips traveled across her flawless neck, and down to her shoulders. He raised one of his hands from where they were holding onto her hips, and pulled it up along her side, pulling her shirt up with his fingers. She lifted her hands above her head, and let him pull the shirt off completely.

He looked across her chest, and was disappointed to see her breasts covered in a bra. He growled impatiently, and rid her of the bra. Satisfied with her bare chest, he set back to suckling on her neck. "Ino," His voice was muffled against her neck. "Are you sure that you're ready to do this so soon? I-I don't know if you'd want to wait a while, after what happened."

Ino lifted his chin from her neck so she was looking into his eyes. "I'm ready to do this again." She said confidently. A smile crossed Itachi's lips before he plunged them back into Ino's. Her hands wandered across his chest until she had his upper body as bare as hers. She loved the feel of his muscles dancing under her touch.

Itachi backed away from the wall, taking Ino with him, and heading into the bedroom. He pushed her body onto the bed, and covered it with his. She could feel his hand playing with the tie on her pants as his tongue pressed into her mouth. He had soon rid her of the pants, and his fingers were playing with her frilly black underwear.

She let out a little cry of surprise when she felt him pull back her panties and slip a finger into her entrance. He waited a minute to let her get used to the feeling of having his finger inside of her before he slipped another finger in. She moaned, and bucked her hips into his hand. He smirked at her reaction before he gently rocked his fingers back and forth. She groaned at the feelings that coursed through her, and let out a little pout when he pulled his fingers away.

Itachi was amused as to how childish the pout was, compared to its cause. He went back to kissing her neck, and caressing her breast, until her felt Ino's hands pull off his pants. He always found it to be a real turn on when Ino undressed him. He lifted his body a bit from hers so she could fully rid him of his clothing.

Ino was pleased to feel a hard, warm bulge pressing against her inner thigh when she finally got Itachi's pants off. It gave her a good idea. She pushed him off of her, and climbed back onto him, so she was on top.

Remembering how good it felt when he was kissing her neck and shoulders, she decided to start there. Her gentle kisses were enough to make Itachi's cock painfully hard. She trailed her kisses down his chest until she came to his waist. She gently stroked his inner thigh as she continued the kisses across his waistline and inner thigh. She heard him moan with pleasure. "Ino." He said breathlessly. He knew what she was doing. She was teasing him, trying to make him break. "Ah, come on Ino." He rocked his hips forward, trying to relieve the intense presser that was building in his groin.

She grinned at the reaction. It was like a game to her. "I don't know what you mean." She said playfully, and she licked the tip of his member. She got a cry out of him that time. "Please Ino. Come on." She continued stroking around him. But in the end, he won out. She felt bad for him, so she gently took his cock into her mouth, and sucked on it, letting her tongue stroke it.

His hips rolled into her mouth trying to create more friction. He had his hand entangled in her mane of blond hair, gripping her scalp tightly, trying to pull her harder against him. Itachi groaned loudly as he cam into her mouth. Ino swallowed until her mouth what empty and let go of his member.

Itachi was panting hard, exhausted from his release, but lust was getting the better of him at the moment. Ino only had a second to let out a mangled "Eep!" before her back hit the floor. She was sure that the hard wood had taken most of the skin off of her back, but she was to busy with Itachi's hungry mouth to notice. "Ready?" Came his muffled voice from against her neck. Ino smirked when she came up with another idea.

"Nope." She pushed him to the side so he was on his back, and climbed back onto him. "Now I'm ready."

Itachi didn't seem very fazed by the change of power, for his member had already found her entrance. He pushed in a little, then Ino took over. She lowered her body, so he was completely inside of her. Her body shock as pleasures rushed through her. Itachi's hands found their way to her hips, and gently pushed her body up and bit, then let it fall back.

She picked up the rhythm after several guided thrusts, and Itachi's hands were free to roam her body. He seemed to settle for one hand pressing on the small of her back, and the other caressing her breast. Itachi had never had a woman take over before, but he was beginning to enjoy not having to do the work.

As time wore on, their thrusts became more quick and frenzied. Ino could feel the presser building in her groin as she thrust into him again. "I…I can't take much more Itachi." She panted out.

"Me…neither." He relied breathlessly. "Try to hold it off." He said as his hips bucked up into her again. He could feel the sweat pouring off him with each new plunge. He really never wanted it to end, but he knew it couldn't last forever.

"I can't" She said as he plunged into her depths one last time before he felt her climax. He decided to join her in pleasure, so he threw into his release as was. He kept a steady flow of pressure on her groin so she could fully ride out the pleasure, as he filled her with his seed. She let out a mangled cry before she collapsed onto his chest from exhaustion.

Panting heavily, Ino was asleep within minutes with Itachi still inside her. He smiled down at her sleeping figure. She was always so beautiful. _Especially in her sleep,_ Itachi thought, as hegrabbed the blanket from the bed, and pulled it down to where they lay on the floor.

* * *

Well, I really liked this lemon. Personally, I think its way better than the other one...but that's just me. I think I got more of the details, and more passiondown in this one.I also think that I might be getting better in my writing. I think I'm liking the later chapters alot more than my older ones. Just to let you guys know, I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this story. It just kind of seems to be writing itself. I wasn't even going to include Sasuke in this fic, but he just kind of worked his way in there. -shrugs- Well, I'm thinkin up a few more twists for the next few chapters. We'll see if we can keep it interesting, ne? Please review! 


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